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Delamere

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"DELAMERE, a parish in the first division of the hundred of EDDISBURY, county palatine of CHESTER, comprising the townships of Delamere, Eddisbury, and Oakmere, and containing 424 inhabitants, of which number, 26S are in the township of Delamere, 5¾ miles (W.) from Northwich. The living is a rectory not in charge, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Chester, and in the patronage of the Crown. The church was consecrated in 1817. This parish, which includes the ancient and royal forest of Delamere, was almost wholly common land, and extra-parochial, before 1812, when it was enclosed and erected into a parish by act of parliament, certain allotments having been reserved to the crown, and others. On this occasion it first gave the title of Baron Delamere, of Vale Royal, to Thomas Cholmondeley, Esq., the proprietor of the ancient possessions of the Cistercian monks of Vale Royal, whose sumptuous abbey, completed in 1330 by Edward I., cost £32,000; it was dedicated to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, St. Nicholas, and St. Nichasius, and in the 26th of Henry VIII. had a revenue of £540. 6. 2. The sessions for the division are annually held, on the 22nd of March, also monthly meetings of the county magistrates, at a new inn, called the Abbey Arms, in the centre of the forest. At the time of the meeting in March there are races, termed the Tanfield hunt, at which two cups are given to be run for by the county, and one by the trainers. Delamere Forest, which once contained a great number of red and fallow deer, exhibits a pleasing variety of well-wooded hills, rich vallies for pasturage, meres affording plenty of fish and aquatic fowl, and mosses producing an abundance of turf and peat for fuel. Upon the highest hill stood the Saxon fortress of Finborrow, and near it a city, both of which are said to have been founded by Ethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great; the latter, called Eadesbury (the happy town), gave name to the hundred, but the ancient residence of the chief forester is all that now remains; this house is termed the Chamber in the Forest, and at convenient distances around it are neat lodges for the keepers of the several walks. About half of the forest has been planted, and still belongs to the crown, the remainder having been either sold, or allotted to different individuals." [From Samuel Lewis A Topographical Dictionary of England  (1831) ©Mel Lockie]

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  • Delamere, also a township in Delamere ancient parish, Eddisbury hundred (SJ 5468)—created in 1812 out of the previously extra-parochial area of Delamere Forest—which became a civil parish in 1866.
  • It included the hamlets of Birch Hill, Boothsdale, Castle Hill, Kelsall Hill (part), Organsdale, Primrose Hill, Roughlow (part), Seven Lows and Willington Corner (part).
  • The population was 498 in 1851, 612 in 1901, 1170 in 1951, and 1028 in 2001.
  • In 2015 the civil parish was abolished and incorporated into Delamere & Oakmere, Kelsall, Utkinton & Cotebrook, and Willington.
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Civil Registration

  • Northwich (1837-1974)
  • Vale Royal (1974-98)
  • Cheshire Central (1998-2007)
  • Cheshire (2007-09)
  • Cheshire West & Chester (2009-15)
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Court Records

  • Eddisbury (1828-1974)
  • Vale Royal (1974-2012)
  • West Cheshire (2012-15)
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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Delamere which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"DELAMERE, a parish in the first division of the hundred of Eddisbury, in the county of Chester, 5½ miles W. of Northwich, and 10½ N.E. of Chester. It contains the townships of Oakmere, Kingswood, and Eddisbury, and includes the ancient and royal forest of Delamere, which since 1812 has been partly enclosed and cultivated. This portion of the parish was formerly little better than a waste, but is now rapidly improving in fertility. Sessions for this division are held on the 22nd March, and petty sessions monthly by the county magistrates. The sumptuous abbey of Vale Royal was founded here by Edward I., in 1330; for Cistercian monks, at a cost of £32,000. It had a revenue of £540 6s. 2d. at the Dissolution. The living is a rectory, not in charge, in the diocese of Chester, and in the patronage of the crown. The church, a small freestone building, was built in 1817, in accordance with the Act of Parliament which erected Delamere into a separate parish in 1812. There are Calvinist and New Connection Methodist chapels, also a National school. It gave the title of Baron Delamere to Sir George Booth at the restoration of Charles II. and when enclosed, to T. Cholmondeley, Esq., of Vale Royal. Delamere House is the seat of the family of Wilbraham."

"DELAMERE FOREST, an extensive tract of about 10,000 acres, forming the chief part of the parish of Delamere, in the hundred of Eddisbury, in the county of Chester. It formerly contained a great number of red and fallow deer, and was almost wholly common-land; but in 1812 an Act of Parliament was procured for disafforesting about 5,000 acres, which were sold or apportioned as allotments, while the remaining 5,000 were planted with oak timber for the use of the Royal Navy. It now presents a pleasing variety of well-wooded hills, rich valleys for pasturage and tillage, and meres affording plenty of fish and aquatic fowl."

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Historical Geography

Places associated with Delamere ancient parish with separate pages

 

  • 1936 April 1 — Gained the whole of Eddisbury (2085 acres, pop. 402 in 1931), part of Little Budworth (22 acres, pop. 18 in 1931) and part of Utkinton (32 acres, pop. 0 in 1931), and lost part to Utkinton (13 acres, pop. 19 in 1931)
  • 1988 April 1 — Lost parts to Kelsall (30 acres, pop. 592 in 1988), Little Budworth and Norley.
  • 2015 April 1 — Abolished and incorporated into Delamere & Oakmere, Kelsall, Utkinton & Cotebrook, and Willington.
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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SJ556700 (Lat/Lon: 53.225598, -2.66706), Delamere which are provided by:

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Politics & Government

  • Northwich Rural Sanitary District (1875-94)
  • Northwich Rural District (1894-1974)
  • Vale Royal (1974-2009)
  • Cheshire West & Chester (2009-15)
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Northwich
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Voting Registers

  • South Cheshire (1832-67)
  • West Cheshire (1868-85)
  • Eddisbury (1885-1948)
  • Northwich (1949-74)